View full sizeMark Niemczyk, 66, of Tinton Falls (left) and Thomas Scalgione, 41, of Manahawkin, were indicted Friday by state grand jury for allegedly running a bogus 9/11 charity to line their own pockets.N.J. Attorney General's Office

TRENTON — Two men have been indicted for collecting thousands of dollars in proceeds from a bogus 9/11 charity using a pickup truck painted with the Twin Towers and the names of police and firefighters who died during the terrorist attacks, state authorities said today.

Mark Niemczyk, 66, of Tinton Falls, and Thomas Scalgione, 41, of Manahawkin, were charged by a state grand jury Friday with conspiracy and theft by deception for allegedly selling commemorative t-shirts and collecting donations at 9/11 events, but never handing over any of the proceeds to victims of families or 9/11 charities, the state Attorney General's Office said in a news release.

“It’s a sad reality that in the wake of a devastating tragedy, when so many want to help, there are always parasites who view the tragedy and the generosity of others as nothing more than the opportunity and the means to turn a crooked profit for themselves,” state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said in a statement.

Niemczyk was also charged with failure to file a personal state income tax return in 2011.

State authorities claim the pair worked as partners to bring their pickup truck to 9/11 events inside and outside the state, where they sold t-shirts and collected donations. Scalgione allegedly acted as the public relations person, making arrangements for their participation in 9/11 events.

But despite raising more than $50,000 from sales, and claiming the money would benefit families of 9/11 victims or 9/11 charity organizations, the pair allegedly deposited the money into personal bank accounts and used it to pay for personal expenses.